Black Gold 1983

Chapter 70

Days passed by like this. The winch at the West No. 2 mine shaft turned from morning till night, the steel cable creaking and groaning as cartloads of coal were brought up from underground and piled up on the open ground next to the shaft, growing higher and higher, like a small black mountain. People from Shigou Village would stop and take a look whenever they passed by, their eyes shining with admiration.

Renye would arrive at the mine entrance before dawn and not return home until completely dark. He spent increasingly longer periods underground, sometimes an entire day, working alongside Ma Tiejun at the working face, inspecting the supports with Ma Dehou, and loading coal onto mine carts with the other miners. He was always covered in coal dust, his face always streaked with black marks, and his fingernails were embedded with indelible coal grime, making him no different from the veteran miners who had spent half their lives working there. Every time Li Yue'e saw him like this, she would scold him for not paying attention to hygiene, but she would already have hot water ready for him to wash up.

The coal was mined, but selling it was another matter entirely. Renye visited several coal-buying companies—state-owned, collective, and private—he went to every one he could. As soon as they heard it was a newly opened small mine, they all shook their heads, saying that the quality of coal from small mines was unstable and the output was unreliable, so they didn't want to buy it. He spent a whole day in the county town, talking himself hoarse, and only managed to sign a preliminary agreement. The other party agreed to take 200 tons for trial burning, and if the quality was good, they would renew the contract.

Two hundred tons isn't a large sum for the Xi'er mine, but it's their first deal, and once they get started, things will be easier. Renye put the contract in his pocket, left the coal receiving unit, squatted on the curb, and lit the cigarette he'd been holding for so long. Pedestrians came and went on the street, and bicycle bells jingled. He squatted there alone, looking at this dusty little county town, watching the people struggling to make a living, and suddenly felt a sense of peace.

Back home, he showed the contract to Ren Shouyi. Ren Shouyi put on his reading glasses and read it word by word, very carefully, as if he were reviewing a very important document. After reading it, he put the contract down and took off his glasses.

"The price is low. It's sixty yuan a ton, but the market price is sixty-five."

"It's good enough that they're willing to take it. Small coal mines don't have a strong brand, so they focus on volume first and build up their reputation later."

Ren Shouyi nodded and said nothing more.

In late April, the first truckload of coking coal left Xier. Renye, along with Ma Tiejun, hauled the coal in a tractor to the coal purchasing unit in the county town. The unit tested samples; the caking index was 82, and the ash and sulfur content met standards—the quality was much better than they had expected. The lab technician looked at the results, then at Renye, his eyes showing surprise and admiration. The purchasing unit's manager immediately approved the change from a letter of intent to a formal contract, agreeing to purchase 500 tons per month at 63 yuan per ton, a 3 yuan increase from the original agreement.

On the way back from the county town, Ma Tiejun drove the tractor, its wheels churning and bobbing along the bumpy dirt road. Ren Ye sat in the back, the empty truck bed beside him, the wind cool against his face, carrying the scent of wheat seedlings from the fields. Ma Tiejun called out from the front, "Brother Ren, this time it's stable!"

Renye didn't speak, but looked up at the sky. The sky was very blue, and the clouds were very white, like cotton candy.

When the news reached Shigou Village, the entire village was in an uproar. Ma Dewang stood under the big locust tree at the village entrance and shouted in his old voice, "The coal from Xier has been sold!" Villagers ran out of their courtyards, some carrying children, some holding bowls of rice, some shirtless, all with smiles on their faces. Ma Xiaojun carried Hu Xianfeng and weaved through the crowd, shouting "We're rich! We're rich!" The tiger squealed from being shaken. Ma Dehou squatted against the wall, a pipe dangling from his lips, squinting at the crowd, a faint but genuine smile on his lips.

Ma Dewang waved his hand, silencing the crowd's commotion. "Stop arguing! Renye, say something."

Renye stood under the big locust tree, watching these people. His trousers were covered in mud, his rubber boots were covered in coal dust, and his face was still smudged with coal grime. He watched them laugh, joke, and pat each other on the shoulder, but he didn't laugh; his eyes, however, were bright.

"Selling the coal is just the beginning. As production increases and sales channels open up, the dividends will naturally increase. But I must say this first—safety first. Anyone who breaks the rules to increase production will face consequences."

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then Ma Tiejun was the first to shout, "Listen to Brother Ren!" Next came Ma Xiaojun, then the Ma Jianmin and Ma Jianshe brothers, and then many more. The voices echoed from under the old locust tree, reverberating through the village lanes and startling a few sparrows from the rooftops.

Ma Maocai was also in the crowd. He clapped, laughed, and shouted along with those around him. But his eyes didn't smile; they were peering through the gaps in the crowd, looking towards the mining area, at the dirt road leading to it, and at the gray buildings at the end of the road.

Renye noticed. He didn't make a sound, turning his gaze away from Ma Maocai and continuing to talk to the people around him. He noticed that Ma Maocai hadn't been going out lately; he arrived at the mine entrance on time every day, went down the mine on time, and came up on time, working diligently without slacking off or doing extra work. But his eyes were off; he was always looking in the direction of the mining area, as if he were waiting for someone.

He needed an opportunity, an opportunity to test Ma Maocai.

On April 28th, the opportunity arrived. Ma Maocai didn't come to work that day, sending a message to Ma Tiejun that his wife was sick and he needed to go to the county town to buy medicine. Upon hearing this news, Ren Ye put down the wrench he was holding, wiped the grease off his hands, and went to find Ma Dewang.

"Uncle Dewang, Maocai went to the county town today."

Ma Dewang glanced at him, understood his meaning, stood up, and tucked his pipe into his waistband. "I'll have someone follow me."

In the afternoon, the news came back. The man who was with Ma Maocai was named Ma Defu, Ma Dewang's cousin. He was in his forties, honest and reliable, and kept his mouth shut. He squatted down in front of Renye and Ma Dewang and told them everything he had seen.

Ma Maocai went to the county town, but instead of the pharmacy, he went to a teahouse in the south of the town. There he met a man, a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a gray-blue work uniform and black-rimmed glasses. He spoke softly and clearly wasn't an ordinary person. The two sat in the teahouse for almost an hour, their conversation unintelligible. When they came out, Ma Maocai had a bulging envelope in his hand, as if it contained some kind of document.

Ma Dewang's face darkened. He glanced at Ren Ye without speaking, but Ren Ye understood the meaning in his eyes—to investigate.

Renye nodded, stood up, walked into the yard, and lit the cigarette he was holding. The sky was overcast, the clouds hung low like a giant ceiling that seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

Renye didn't act immediately. He stood in Ma Dewang's yard, finished his cigarette, stubbed it out on his shoe, picked it up, and threw it into the trash can in the corner. Ma Dewang stood at the doorway of the main room, looking at him without saying a word, but in his cloudy old eyes, there was something indescribable—disappointment, and heartache for his younger generation's lack of ambition.

"Uncle Dewang, please don't tell anyone about this. If the villagers find out, it won't be good for Maocai, and it won't be good for you either." Renye walked back, his voice low. "I'll go find out who that guy with glasses is. Please keep an eye on Maocai for me, and don't alert him."

Ma Dewang nodded and turned to go back into the main room. His back was more hunched than a few days ago, and his steps were heavier, as if something was pressing down on him and pulling him down.

Renye left Shigou Village and went straight to Han Tianfang's house instead of going home. Han Tianfang's gate was closed. Renye knocked twice, but no one answered. He knocked twice more, and then footsteps came from inside. The door opened, and Han Tianfang stood in the doorway, wearing a wrinkled work uniform, his hair disheveled, and his eyes bloodshot.

"What's wrong?" Han Tianfang saw Ren Ye's expression and knew something was wrong.

Renye entered the courtyard, closed the door, and recounted Ma Maocai's story. Han Tianfang listened, his brows furrowing more and more. After Renye finished speaking, he squatted down beside the stone table, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a puff.

"Wears black-rimmed glasses, gray-blue overalls, around forty years old, speaks softly." Han Tianfang repeated these characteristics, squinted his eyes and thought for a moment, "I think I've seen this person before."

Renno's heart skipped a beat. "Where?"

Han Tianfang didn't answer immediately. He smoked most of his cigarette before speaking. "The transport team. Last year, an inspection team came to the team, saying they were from the mining bureau, checking the transport accounts. The leader was the person you mentioned, wearing black-rimmed glasses and gray-blue overalls. He spoke softly, but every word was sharp. He inspected the transport team for three days and found quite a few problems. Later, Xu Hongbing treated everyone to a meal at the best restaurant in the county, with two tables set up. The inspection team ate and drank, and after they left, the matter was dropped."

Renye's hands clenched tightly. "Someone from the mining bureau? What's their name?"

"His surname is Zhou, and his given name is Zhou Shimo Lin, I can't quite remember. But he works in the Production Technology Department of the Mining Bureau. He's not a high-ranking official, but he holds a powerful position." Han Tianfang looked up at Ren Ye. "Didn't you just go to the Mining Bureau to apply for a mining license? The approval materials are in the Production Technology Department. All the things you submitted—geological data, mining plans, safety measures—are in his hands."

Ren Ye's mind suddenly clicked. The bespectacled middle-aged man Ma Maocai had met was from the Mining Bureau's Production Technology Department, holding the authority to approve mining licenses for the West Second Mining Area. Ma Maocai had met with him and received an envelope. What was inside the envelope? Documents? Money?

If it's a document, what document? If it's money—where did Ma Maocai get the money? It could only have been given to him by that guy surnamed Zhou.

Renye stood up and took a few steps in the courtyard. "Tianfang, help me investigate this person's background. Name, job title, connections within the mining bureau, the more detailed the better."

Han Tianfang nodded and stubbed out his cigarette. "Three days."

After leaving Han Tianfang's house, Ren Ye went straight to the mining department building without stopping. The light in the mine manager's office was still on. He went up to the third floor, stood at the door for a while to calm his breathing, and then knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Renye pushed open the door and entered. Wang Jianguo was sitting behind his desk, several documents spread out in front of him, his pen still in his hand. Seeing Renye come in, he looked up and took off his glasses.

"It's so late, is something wrong?"

Renye didn't beat around the bush; he told the truth about the possibility that someone in the Mining Bureau's Production Technology Department might have tampered with the approval process. He didn't mention Ma Maocai or the man surnamed Zhou; he only said that he had heard some rumors during the permit application process and was worried that someone might be interfering.

Wang Jianguo listened without much change in expression. After Renye finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair, crossed his hands on the table, and looked at Renye.

"Do you know what you're saying?" His voice wasn't loud, but it was deep. "People from the mining bureau aren't people you can just point fingers at. Without evidence, if this gets out, it's slander."

"I know," Renye said. "That's why I didn't look for anyone else, but came to you first. Whether you believe it or not, I just want to remind you that someone is watching this area of ​​Xier. It's not someone from Shigou Village, it's not someone from Hongxing Mine, it's someone from above."

Wang Jianguo remained silent for a moment, then stood up, walked to the window, and, with his back to Renye, looked out at the dark mining area. The lights on the distant mine shafts were still on, flickering in the night like eyes that refused to go out.

"I've seen your geological data." Wang Jianguo didn't turn around. "The coking coal layer below West Second Mine wasn't discovered by Hongxing Mine back then. It wasn't that the exploration team was incompetent; it was that nobody thought in that direction. You, a young upstart, were able to think of exploring deeper and produce that data, which shows you have courage and brains. But courage and brains can't be used as evidence. If you want to sue the mining bureau, you need solid evidence."

He turned around and looked at Renye.

"I'll give you a month. If you can get the evidence within a month, I'll submit it for you. If not, this matter ends here. You just focus on operating the West Second Mine well, and don't think about anything else."

Renye looked at him and nodded. "One month."

Emerging from the mining building, Renye stood on the steps and exhaled deeply. The night breeze was cool, blowing against his face and ruffling his hair. He reached into his pocket, found his pack of cigarettes, pulled one out, put it in his mouth, lit it, and took a drag. The smoke dispersed under the streetlights like a small cloud.

One month. He needed to find out everything about that Zhou guy within a month and get evidence that he had bribed Ma Maocai. This matter couldn't alert Ma Maocai, couldn't alert the Zhou guy, couldn't alert anyone who shouldn't be alerted. He could only investigate quietly, search quietly, and lay a trap quietly.

He finished his cigarette, stubbed it out on the sole of his shoe, and threw the butt into the roadside trash can. In the distance, the lights at the West Second Wellhead were still on, and the winch sat quietly in the darkness, like a lurking beast.

He turned around and walked towards the family compound.

For the next three days, Renye appeared to be doing everything as usual. Every day before dawn, he would go to the West Second Wellhead, go down into the well, work, come up, eat with the workers, smoke with them, and laugh and talk with them. His expression showed no abnormality; he laughed when he should laugh, scolded when he should scold, and worked harder than anyone else when it was time to work.